Twitter/FriendFeed client Twhirl updated
Twhirl keeps getting better, but it has a way to go.
Seesmic, which recently acquired the AIR Twitter client Twhirl (download), has shipped a new version of the software. There are minor improvements in Twitter functionality, mostly designed to keep it from requesting too many updates from the Twitter API, which produces the dreaded "limit exceeded" message if you use the app too enthusiastically. The Twitter service, which used to allow clients like Twhirl to fetch updates 60 times an hour, dropped its limit to 20/hour during the Steve Jobs keynote; it's only back at 30/hour as of this writing. Twhirl can now adjust its update frequency so it's always under the Twitter maximums.
Twitter will, at some point in the future, hopefully move to a push model for updates based on the XMPP protocol. At that time, according to Seesmic, Twhirl will also be updated to use the protocol. That should solve at least one of Twitter's capacity issues. Today, if you press the update button one time too many, you still time out.
Twhirl's most visible improvements are in its FriendFeed support, where it now handles comments and links in items gracefully. You can also share photos on FriendFeed via the Twhirl client just by dragging your image to a box in the client.
The app also supports FriendFeed rooms.
Seesmic support in Twhirl is still missing, as is the promised single-pane view that merges content from the three services. I like a Twhirl a great deal, but there are aspects of the Firefox add-on MySocial 24x7 that make it an even better client for the FriendFeed.
Rafe Needleman writes about start-ups, new technologies, and Web 2.0 products, as editor of CNET's Webware. E-mail Rafe.
For FriendFeed I'm still a big fan of Feedalizr.com, with video posting and almost weekly releases, i think the future holds interesting features for this.